I Was
by Elkpelt the Wolf-Chalk
Summary: "She carried a golden heart that was bruised and Po slowly was understanding his entrance into her life was beginning to stitch those old injuries closed..." [Takes place after KFP2, mild Tigress/Po] /One-shot/


**Author's Note:** I DON'T KNOW WHAT I WAS THINKING BUT I REALLY WANTED PO HELPING TIGRESS FIND INNER PEACE. This take's place a month or two after Kung Fu Panda 2 so you March peeps will be safe~ This is my first time really writing KFP stuff so take it easy on me.

...

also those who are waiting on me to update _Never Alone_ , don't worry, it'll be soon. I promise.

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Po had found her within the cusp of iron wood trees, their tall bodies forming a protective barrier around the tigress.

This was her domain as far as the panda knew, her spot ever since she was a little cub she marked just about every tree with the indents of claws and fists. No one knew their history like Tigress did so it was no surprise to the panda his search lead him to the forest. Tonight however she wasn't striking the trees with her toughened palms as Po thought she would, instead she stood beneath the open sky slightly obscured by leaves. Her paw raised towards the cloudy heavens, strong legs stood apart and her tail sweeping the damp grass behind her. It was raining heavily and her clothes were almost a second skin upon her muscular form. The tough sinew of her massive arms and back coiled with intricate detail, Tigress was a master piece of physical perfection.

Realizing he was staring far too long, Po blinked his eyes quickly but didn't move, curious as to what Tigress was up to. Tigress was immersed in her own activity and once he saw her attempt to grab rain water from mid air, it began to make sense. She couldn't do it and with a low growl as the water droplet broke apart along her palms, Tigress threw her arms down. The fur along her neck trembled with irritation and she breathed loudly, trying again once she deemed herself calm enough.

It had the same results. She attempted to guide the water droplet along her arm, bending furiously but again it fell apart long before it could even return to her paws. He could only imagine the look of frustration on her face thanks to the rumbling that filled the air from her chest. Thunder rolled on behind them and Tigress matched its furiousity as she glared up toward the source of the rain. They all broke against her face, as if a final slap to her already damaged pride.

Po felt sympathy swell within him and awkwardly, he cleared his throat to gain her attention.

"Hey! Uh, what's goin' on?"

Eyes of fire met his in the lowlight and Po couldn't help but feel the intensity of her gaze's weight on him. She looked surprised through her exhaustion. Still she stood with power despite her wornness and always he admired her for that. She was the hardcore Tigress, unbreakable.

Or so he used to think until their return from Gongmen not more than a month ago. They all were changed from the scars it left. The mental ones were still fresh and despite not being seen upon their skin, hurt the most in how raw they were. Tigress herself hadn't been acting right since then, it was subtle but Po knew her all too well. He'd given her space as to not risk a punch to the jaw for seeming overly concerned, hoping their bond alone would be enough to encourage Tigress to come at her own time.

She never did, Tigress seemed to push herself further into her woes. She didn't treat her friends any different but the way she carried herself... it just wasn't Tigress. After failing to return for a warm supper tonight, Po decided it was time to press for answers. The tiger shouldn't be out in the heavy rain like this in obvious torment, Po hated seeing her bottle herself up. Po himself was emotional and open, he couldn't imagine lying to one's self that they were constantly OK when in reality they were nursing a festering wound. Even if he didn't want his friends to worry, eventually rather than never he would always cave, especially if a comforting embrace was involved.

"I'm only..." Tigress spoke in her usual low calm tones. She knotted her brows together in thought, Po knew she was drawing out her fibbing even further. It hurt she didn't trust him. "...training."

He gave her a smile regardless and pushed his palms out at her, causing her to eye him in confusion. "Well, the sky isn't a worthy opponent!" He declared and watched as Tigress hesitated to take him up on his claim. Po didn't have hands of iron and a punch from Tigress was like having a solid wall run into _you_ rather than the other way around. "C'mon Tigress, I am so ready!"

Tigress managed a little smile for the panda, it lit her face up despite how subtle her lips moved. "If you insist, so enthusiastic." She sauntered her way through the white mist and stood across from the panda. Po braced himself for the impact as Tigress raised her large fist.

Her knuckles met his paws but it was far from a powerful punch. In fact, she only lightly pressed her paws against his. Po blinked his confused green eyes, feeling their fingers mold together as they touched palm-to-palm. She raised her brows at him. "I'd rather not break your arms, Po," she told him in jest.

"Hey, I threw _canon balls_ that were on _fire_ , I think a little hit won't be too bad now," Po replied, pouting as she shook her head, letting their hands drop apart. Po immediately missed the contact. "Tigress..." He began softly.

Tigress made distance between them, arms crossed as if to shield herself. "Why are you out here?" She asked him, trying to turn the subject from herself. Tigress was smart, she knew why he was out here. She didn't want the attention but Po wasn't going to back down tonight.

"Well, you missed dinner," Po told her, his hands on his hips like a scolding mother. "I made a mean soup tonight."

"You always make a mean soup," Tigress replied, a hint of playfulness to the words. "Missing one mean soup isn't the end of the world Po, you'll make a even meaner one tomorrow."

"Maybe I'll want to shake it up and make some tofu stir fry tomorrow!" He interjected. "Can't predict the future, ya know Tigress."

She sighed, letting her arms fall. The words seemed to hit her and she turned away from him to gaze into the dark forest. "I know all too well," Tigress replied gently.

Po interlocked his fingers together to ignore his nerves, mentally preparing himself as he made his way up to the tigress. "Why are _you_ out here Tigress?"

Tigress flicked an ear in response before turning back to the concerned panda. "Training," she insisted flatly.

He felt his face drop in disappointment. "Sure..."

There was only silence that followed and Po decided to just take the bull by the horns. This was going on too long. "So inner peace..." Po started, staring at his fellow warrior.

"What about it?" He could tell by her tone that Po was in control of the situation, he wasn't sure how to feel about that.

"You're out here trying to get that spiritual mumbo jumbo right?" Tigress's eyes narrowed at him in scrutiny, as if trying hard to figure out how Po knew that. He gave her a little smile. "I saw you catching rain drops. So no use lying to me now."

"I see your stealth mode improved," she commented and Po chuckled, risking a broken nose to lightly nudge her in the ribs with his elbow. "I hadn't known you were there that long..."

"Its starting to become one of my stronger modes," Po quipped merrily.

"Don't flatter yourself, dragon warrior, I was distracted," Tigress said, hitting him back with more force. It was a love tap in the language of master Tigress. Po nursed the side of his stomach with cheeks inflated in pain, legs threatening to send him toppling to the muddy ground.

"Y-yeah! Okay!" He replied breathlessly, recovering as he tightly wove his arms around his large, soft belly. "Distracted, definitely! My spleen..."

She let him pull himself back together thankfully. Deciding there wasn't much use delaying the unavoidable, she tiredly spoke. "I was trying to find inner peace, yes."

"You're always totally together though Tigress," Po mused, standing straight finally. "What would you need inner peace for?"

"Because I'm not as... together as everyone believes Po," Tigress confessed.

He remembered back to their time together, primarily, when they were off to Gongmen. It seemed the panda and tigress switched places, now he was the one trying to dish out comfort. He remembered how they sat together, Tigress a supportive clutch as she helped him through his troubles on his adoption crisis. She'd been so sympathetic, a softer side he never imagined seeing from the legendary leader of the Furious Five. Then when he screwed up their perfect chance to capture Shen, Tigress hadn't hesitated to show him tough love before she felt her resolve collapse finally.

 _"He knows what happened, where I came from... Who I am... Look, I'm going... the hardcore can't understand."_

 _"The hardcore_ **do** _understand... but I can't watch my friend be killed."_

Tigress had hugged him tightly, hoping desperately her arms alone would be enough to convince him to stop his endeavor. The shocked faces of the Five were also burned within the back of his mind.

 _"Po get away from him!_ **No!** _"_

She was willing to die for him not once, but twice. Had Tigress reached him in time, Shen's cannon would have killed her. When she finally did reach him during the blitzkrieg on Shen's ships, Po could only stare in stunned horror at the barrel of the dragon-shaped canon. Tigress took the worst of the blast and in the waters laying limp as a rag doll, he thought he had just lost one of the most important people in his life.

 _"Now_ **that** _was pretty hardcore..."_

But she didn't die. They clutched one another's hands together, Tigress even waning the weakest of smiles for his sake.

 _"So hardcore you don't feel anything."_

He remembered how shocked she'd been at his hug in return, relieved to nearly tears that she'd made it out alive. The way she felt stiff under his arms hardly concerned him at the time but it made him wonder.

How long had she lived without true affection? She was Tigress, he once believed she was above the need of love. Idols didn't have weaknesses. These glimpses he'd seen over the passing of time Po came to understand were forming a whole new entity. A side of Tigress that wasn't as unfeeling as everyone believed, himself included. She carried a golden heart that was bruised and Po slowly was understanding his entrance into her life was beginning to stitch those old injuries closed.

And it seemed as those wounds closed, Tigress wasn't sure as to where she stood without the hurt she learned to bear quietly her entire twenty plus years. Pain was all Tigress knew, now she could go on without it.

He had hoped at least.

"I was..."

The voice that followed was definitely not from the past and Tigress gazed forlornly at him, looking very much conflicted. She was reaching out to him with her eyes, needing the push from Po to finally take the plunge.

"You were what?" He encouraged gently.

Tigress hugged herself close with her arms. "I wasn't born Tigress you know. I _became_ Tigress and sometimes, I don't even know who Tigress really is." She paused. "I was an orphan."

Her pain was visible upon her face and Po didn't hesitate to lay a comforting paw on her arm. He suddenly realized just how harsh his words had been to her back at the prison. She understood better than anyone because she and Po were more alike than he ever could have dreamed. Tigress met his eyes and the corners of her lips twitched. "They called me _the_ monster back then. I destroyed everything I touched... That's who I thought I was, long ago. Then I figured out... I was Tigress. Tigress the hardcore, she who was _unfeeling and unbreakable_."

"What changed?"

"You fell from the sky on a ball of fire," Tigress uttered softly, smiling. "That's what changed, Po."

He felt touched and gave her elbow a supportive squeeze with both his paws.

"You have no idea just how much importance you have to us." Tigress gave a soft chuff before slanting her brows together. "When I thought we lost you to Shen..." The tiger tightened her lips together, giving a shuddering breath. "Half of me died with you, that's all I can describe the pain as. Everyone looked to me for guidance and this time, I couldn't do a thing. We gave up, _I_ gave up."

She was quiet a moment, Po gazed upon her with tender eyes. "Then... then you came back! Everything was alright again... that emptiness was gone! I couldn't let Shen rip you away from me again without... without a fight... Tigress is a _fighter_ but... I've suddenly become so _different..._ " The scars of Gongmen were bleeding out and Po wanted to staunch the bleeding badly for her. "You've changed me."

"I didn't change you Tigress," Po declared, wrapping his arm around her shoulders finally, pulling her into himself. She was a little unsure, stiffening under his softness before letting herself the luxury to melt a little. "You were always you! You know, the awesome you!"

White eyelids hooded themselves over her gaze in response, shuddering a breath. "This is all so different to me Po. I'm not sure how to comprehend it. These... feelings."

Po answered by tugging her closer, his head close to her neck. Her back was pressed against his belly and Tigress kept her eyes tightly shut, the rain drenching them further.

"Gongmen made me realize that I am not who I used to be," Tigress uttered softly. He felt part of his heart break in two. "None of us are."

The panda took in a brave breath of air. "Tigress, I never want you to lose yourself." He moved his arms beneath hers, pressing his hands near her wrists. His feet helped coax her legs apart and Tigress turned to look at him finally, confused. "You're saying I changed you, I'm gonna prove right now there was never anything to change."

He smiled at her, water droplets rolling down his glowing face. Tigress was silent.

"Just close your eyes and follow my lead, okay?" His nerves were on fire, it was somewhat reassuring to see the unsureness matched in the way she stared at him. She was watchful and weary.

Tigress didn't say anything for several heartbeats before she dipped her head into a nod. Tigress turned her face away and he was met with the back of her striped head. He felt her inhale, relaxing herself into his touch. They breathed together in sync and Po gently pushed his feet against hers, sliding her legs into the proper stance as best he could. Then wrapping his fingers along her wrist, he lifted her paw to the sky, their arms pressed tightly together. A raindrop fell into her palm, he felt Tigress' breath hitch, preparing to feel it break apart.

It never did.

Instead it began to gracefully make its way down the slope that was her arm. Po moved his hands along, leaving her wrists behind to guide her arms in the movements. She'd been far too rough when Po first caught her attempt, no restraint. Whenever he felt she would risk breaking the flow, he would gently preposition her. They moved together as one and Po felt rather than saw Tigress getting into what it meant to be at peace. Her muscles were relaxed under his paws and soon, Po gently withdrew himself from her. Tigress didn't seem to notice as she continued the motions Po instilled, eyes shut and breaths coming out even.

Po let Tigress go fully, facing the back of her. The water droplet never broke as it made its course along her forearms and paws. Eventually, she reached the end of the little dance, leaning gingerly over to let the droplet fall to a strand of bright green grass. She let out a breath, eyes opening as she stared down at what she just accomplished.

"Po, that wasn't me was..." She suddenly realized Po wasn't holding her to himself anymore and stunned, Tigress looked between him and her paws. She stood upright, jaw dropped as she flexed her fingers.

 _Some find inner peace through pain and suffering…_

The panda grinned his pride for her. Po saw many emotions cross over her beautiful face and finally she settled upon mirroring Po. Wide and broad as her fangs glistened beneath her smiling maws, she looked at Po with much fondness. No words were necessary as they met one another's eyes, merely beaming. As if the world sensed the mood around them, the dark clouds parted lightly, faint moonlight blaring its way through the downpour of rain over the two warriors.

Finally Po smugly cradled his chin under his knuckles, mimicking the thinker. "It seems... you have found inner peace, wouldn't you say so Tigress?"


End file.
